The Grave White Way - The Production Team

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Sarah Gurfield (Director) was recently awarded a 2002 SDCF Observership to work with Walter Bobbie on Golden Boy (starring Alfonso Ribeiro) for the City Center Encores! series. She directed the original hit musical The Grave White Way at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles. New York directing credits include The Whole, a WTC benefit for the Pal Company; Bat Boy The Musical (Assistant Director, dir. Scott Schwartz, winner of the 2001 Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Musical, and the 1999 and 2000 Richard Rodgers Awards); Liberty Smith (starring Susan Egan and Anthony Rapp) for the Coronet Theatre in Los Angeles and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre; The Torch Bearers, starring Faith Prince and Marian Seldes (Assistant Director, dir. Dylan Baker, winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival, 2000), for the Drama Department; Death on the Mississippi for Step Lively Productions; Raw Impressions Musical Theatre and Dog Spelled Backwards is Krishna for Manhattan Theatre Source; Presumed Retarded for Temerity Theatre; When Grace Comes In, starring Marian Seldes and Maryann Plunkett (Assistant Director, dir. Michael Parva, winner of the Kesselring Prize, 1999), for The National Arts Club; Not an Albee Play for the DAPPER Festival; and Killers for the Riant Theatre. Ms. Gurfield has also directed such shows as The Taming of the Shrew, Falsettos, Grease, and Black Comedy, as well as worked for companies including Lincoln Center Theatre, The Directors Company, Manhattan Ensemble Theatre, Surflight Theatre, and The Paul Robeson Theatre. Ms. Gurfield is a member of the Illyria Theatre Company and a graduate of Brown University.

Kay Cole (Choreographer) Her Los Angeles productions include: Do I Hear a Waltz? (Pasadena Playhouse); Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (Geffen Theatre); Musical Chairs (El Portal); Most Happy Fella, 1776, Fiorello, Three Penny Opera, Sweeney Todd (Reprise); Grass Harp, Robber Bridegroom, Take Me Along, The Baker¹s Wife (MTG/Pasadena Playhouse); Chang and Eng, Actor Lawyer Indian Chief (Falcon Theatre); Lullaby of Broadway (Tiffany Theatre); Cabaret (East/West Players Drama Logue Award); Assassins (LACT Ovation Award Nominee); She¹s A Handful (Director, HBO Theatre); Country (Director/Choreographer, Crazy Horse Saloon); A Lovely Way, Under One Umbrella (Pasadena Playhouse); The Next Step (Playwright¹s Arena); Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde; Triumph of Love (SBCLO); Dancing At Lughnasa (McCoy-Rigby); Songs of the Tall Grass (Ford¹s Theatre Premiere) and As You Like It (Shakespeare LA). Her New York productions include: Good Times (Manhattan Theatre Club) and One Man Band (South Street Theatre). Her London West End credits include: Snoopy (Duchess Theatre) and Blockheads (Co-Author, Mermaid Theatre). Her television credits include: “Brooklyn Bridge” (pilot); “C.L.A.S.S.” (Co-Director, Cable special) and “Guide Post Junction” (KID-VID series). Her film credits include: Ella (Choreographer); The Human Quality (Co-Director); and Country Rules (Director). This summer she will be choreographing Follies (Reprise) and The Music Man ( Hollywood Bowl).

Jayson Raitt (Producer) is the Production Associate at the Pasadena Playhouse where he manages the artistic and production administration for the theatre's programming. He contributed to such productions as the world premiere of Stuart Ross’ Plaid Tidings - A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid, David Lee’s acclaimed revival of Do I Hear a Waltz? (recorded by Fynsworth Alley), Joe DiPietro's The Kiss at City Hall, and Jim Wann's new musical The People Vs. Mona. Mr. Raitt has produced concerts with such talents as John Raitt (no relation), Maureen McGovern, Amanda McBroom, Betty Garrett, Alan Campbell, Jo Anne Worley, David Garrison, Lillias White and Michele Lee as well as numerous readings and workshops. In the past few years, Mr. Raitt produced; the star-studded Yes! Yes! Nanette!, an 80th Birthday Tribute to Nanette Fabray, featuring Bea Arthur, Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Florence Henderson, Mary Tyler Moore, Marlee Matlin, David Hyde Pierce and Carl Reiner among others; a tribute to famed director/choreographer Michael Bennett as a benefit for L.A. Shanti, featuring cast members from the original Broadway casts of A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Seesaw, and Company; for the Pasadena Playhouse, A Coward-ly Cavalcade: An Evening of Noel Coward Songs; and a reading of Stuart Ross and Debra Barsha’s Keith Haring musical Radiant Baby for the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop. Mr. Raitt received a BA in Film and Communications from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television's Producers Program. He has worked in film and television for Disney, Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Television, and MGM Animation.

Lauren Bass (Associate Producer) is thrilled to be re-joining the team on The Grave White Way having worked previously on the LA production last summer. Since moving from NYC to LA a year and a half ago, Lauren has kept herself busy on the production teams of First Lady Suite (The Blank Theatre), A Little Night Music (Interact Theatre), and Xanadu, The Musical (Gascon Theatre). Most recently she produced a reading of Manuscript by Paul Grellong (Black Dahlia Theatre) as well as the World Premiere of Save Me From My Sister by Tom Lenk (Hudson Backstage).

Snug Harbor Productions, Inc. (General Manager) Steven Chaikelson and Brannon Wiles are currently represented by the Broadway production of Elaine Stritch At Liberty, the Off-Broadway production of Criss Angel Mindfreak at WWF New York, and the Los Angeles production of The Vagina Monologues. Upcoming projects include the Harlem Song at the Apollo Theatre. Steven’s other general management credits include the Broadway productions of George Gershwin Alone, A Moon for the Misbegotten, The Price, Death of a Salesman, Fool Moon and Freak; the Off-Broadway productions of 4 Guys Named José and Chesapeake; and regional productions of Art (Chicago) and Fully Committed (Los Angeles). Brannon is the former head of the San Francisco office of Actors’ Equity Association, where he negotiated and administered collective bargaining agreements for hundreds of Bay Area productions and actors. Since moving to New York in 1997 to attend graduate school, he has worked with Robert Cole Productions and in the business affairs department at The Dramatists Guild, and he has worked with Steven off and on since 1999, joining Snug Harbor full time last year. Both are graduates of Columbia University’s joint degree program in Law and Theatre Management. Brannon was the Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia-VLA Journal of Law & the Arts, and Steven currently teaches a seminar in Law and Theatre at Columbia University School of Law and serves as Theatre Management Program Coordinator and Adjunct Professor for the Columbia University School of the Arts.

Production Team

For the Los Angeles Show

(Additional)

Michael Weiner (L.A. Producer) is a producer, composer, and an actor. As an actor, his film credits include Man of the Century (released Fall 1999 by Fine Line Features); Mr. Saturday Night, directed by Billy Crystal; Coupe De Ville, directed by Joe Roth; and Relentless. Mr. Weiner has been seen on numerous TV shows including: Felicity, Beverly Hills 90210, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Parker Lewis, The Wonder Years, The Tonight Show, and Cagney and Lacey. Stage credits include the Interact Theatre Company’s production of Into The Woods, directed by John Rubinstein; “Seymour” in Little Shop of Horrors; How Do You Keep the Music Playing?, directed by Jeff Calhoun; and the musical The Chosen, by Charles Fox and Hal David.   Mr. Weiner composed the music for Liberty Smith, which was presented in New York at The National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival in September of 2000. The Mystery of the Dancing Princesses, for which he co-wrote the book, music and lyrics, received a workshop in New York sponsored by Warner/Chappell Music. In 1998, Mr. Weiner composed the score for Fine Line Features’ Man of the Century. The soundtrack is available on the RCA/Victor label. In addition, he co-wrote a song for the direct-to-video animated feature Scarecrow, produced by Rich Animation and Warner Brothers. He has developed animated musical projects at Universal, Hanna-Barbera, Turner Feature Animation, Sony Wonder and Walt Disney TV Animation.

Alan Zachary (L.A. Producer) comes to producing from an experienced artistic background. As a composer/lyricist, he has written songs for: Hanna-Barbera (Cavekids animated series), Universal Studios (The Little Engine that Could animated series), Warner Bros./Rich Animation (The Scarecrow animated musical feature film), and songs for Sony Wonder and Walt Disney TV Animation. Film composing credits include: Our Pack, a documentary on football fan culture scheduled for release later this year, and Muscle Beach, a 3D animated short for Industrial Light & Magic. Mr. Zachary also co-authored the book, music & lyrics for a family stage musical, The Mystery of the Dancing Princesses, which was workshopped at the New York State Theatre Institute, funded by a grant from music publishing giant Warner/Chappell. As a performer, Mr. Zachary was recently featured in the first two readings of Wicked, a new musical by Academy Award-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Prince of Egypt) and Winnie Holzman (TV’s My So-Called Life and Once & Again). At the critically acclaimed Interact Theatre Company, he provided musical accompaniment for productions of The Music Man and Into the Woods, directed by Tony Award-winning actor-director John Rubinstein. He also can be seen and heard singing in Fine Line Features’ Man of the Century. Voice-over work includes: IMAX film Olympic Glory (produced by Frank Marshall), Disney’s Geppetto, and narrator of numerous specialty productions ranging from “Behind the Music” videos to corporate industrials and documentaries. Additional credits: Assistant to the Producer of Columbia Pictures’ Dance with Me, a musical feature starring Vanessa Williams, and Music Coordinator for Geppetto, an original musical for ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney starring Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with songs by Stephen Schwartz.

Gary Wissmann (Scenic Design) has designed 22 productions for the Pasadena Playhouse. His design of The Old Settler was nominated for an LA Ovation Award and his design of the musical Sisterella was honored by the Hollywood NAACP with the best Set Design in an Equity Theatre. He has designed in numerous Southern California Theatres such as the Tiffany, Odyssey, Matrix, Beverly Hills Playhouse, South Bay Civic Light Opera, The Colony, La Mirada Performing Arts Center and the Reprise! Best of Broadway production, Of Thee I Sing. His work has also been seen at the Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Grand Opera, Coconut Grove Playhouse Florida and the Rogue Music Theatre in Oregon. Mr. Wissmann lives in Pasadena with wife Shelly and their co-designs Joanna and Michael.

Jeannine Campi (Costume Design) is originally from New York where she started doing Summer Stock as a costume stylist and seamstress. Some of her credits include Brigadoon, Sound of Music, Anything Goes, Damn Yankees, Cabaret, The Miracle Worker, and 1776. She moved to Santa Barbara in 1981 where she worked at the L’Petit Cabaret on Sugar, Magic Music Magic, On the Air, and L’mon Piaf. In Los Angeles, she worked for the Walt Disney Company for 12 years and freelanced as a costume designer on award winning USC Student films. In 1997, worked with Hershey Felder on his new musical Noah’s Ark at UCLA. She recently worked on the annual Christmas show at the Alex Theater in Glendale, and designed evening gowns for a 1923 gala for the Arroyo Heritage Theater in Pasadena. She has been with DreamWorks Animation for the past 5 years.

Michael Zinman (Lighting Design) is the resident lighting designer for the Pasadena Playhouse where he has designed Visiting Mr. Green, How the Other Half Loves and last year’s Noel Coward concert, A Coward-ly Cavalcade. Other recent credits include Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Kurt Weill Centennial, L.A. Shanti ‘s Tribute to Michael Bennett, and the past two annual S.T.A.G.E. Benefits directed by David Galligan at the Luckman Theatre. Mr. Zinman has recently taken two years off to develop and market one of the industries most popular lighting design programs, AutoBLOCK 2000.

Jon Massena (Sound Design) is a Seattle transplant whose first gig in Los Angeles was serving for a year as sound designer and audio engineer for Reefer Madness, also working under producer Lee Curreri on the original cast album as the mix-down engineer. Mr. Massena mixed The Gift at the Tiffany Theatre, where he got to work with sound designer Bernard Fox from New York. He designed, mixed sound, and recorded the album for the Actors Fund Benefit at the Luckman Theatre in Los Angeles, had the opportunity to design and load-in the sound system for the Vagina Monologues at the Canon Theatre, and designed sound for Vampire Virgins from Venus, another Hudson Backstage production.   Mr. Massena was on the crew for sound that loaded and ran the show for Al Gore’s rally in Westwood. He recently ran sound for the opening night party of the Los Angeles version of the Lion King and designed sound for Margaret at the Hudson. When he’s not mixing and designing theatre, he’s loading-in other people’s show, mixing bands and working in postproduction. But when he’s got some extra, extra free time, Jon works on movie sets as a location engineer. Some previous credits include several years of design, mixing, and grunting in the Seattle Theatre circuit, and working at KUBE radio and Triad studios in Seattle. Mr. Massena graduated from University of Washington with a major in sound production.

Tom Lenk (Production Stage Manager) is making his stage managerial debut with The Grave White Way. He attended UCLA where he won the 1997 Carol Burnett Award. Instead of running off to New York with his prize money, Tom opted to graduate and then head out to play Doody in the European Tour of Grease. Recently, Tom was sent to Juvenile Hall on “Judging Amy”, staked through the heart on “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer”, developed chicken-phobia on “Popular”, and threatened puppets on “Cousin-Skeeter”. Tom can also be seen in numerous commercials. In his spare time, he has been writing an unauthorized biography of his life partner, Amy Rutberg, entitled “I was a teenage performer.”

Deirdre Murphy (Assistant Stage Manager) After graduating from Drew University 2 years ago, Deirdre found herself in Los Angeles, with the idea that perhaps film would be just like theatre, only financially kinder. Alas, film is nothing like theatre, so to satisfy her craving, she spends her limited free time in and about the Los Angeles theatre scene. Some of her credits include: Reefer Madness!, The Gift, Science Fair, Vampire Virgins from Venus, and most recently, theatre fofo’s Eat the Bunny and Hudson Backstage’s Short Circuit Series. She currently serves on the board of the new BPC as head of the playreading committee.

Patty Onagan (Publicity/Marketing) is the head of Patty Onagan Entertainment, a Beverly Hills-based publicity and marketing company dedicated to theatre, film and music. She currently handles The Geffen Playhouse; the world premiere of Timothy McNeil’s Crane, MS; Canon Theatricals and Disney Records. She most recently represented Private Life directed by Dan Futterman and BRUCE! starring Bruce Vilanch. Past clients include: the Los Angeles production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; Bash starring Ron Eldard, Calista Flockhart, and Paul Rudd; the world premiere of Bill Graham Presents starring Ron Silver; the West Coast Premiere of The Umbilical Brothers’ Thwak; among others.   She was responsible for launching the first annual Cinemax Summer Screen Film Festival in Huntington Beach. Prior to forming her own company, Ms. Onagan worked as a Broadway publicist. She did the publicity for Circle In The Square Theatre, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Madison Square Garden’s A Christmas Carol, the reopening of the New Amsterdam Theatre and The Lion King. Ms. Onagan recently served as the associate producer for the Broadway-bound pop opera bare which received numerous awards and critical acclaim. Last year, she produced Les Miscellaneous, a benefit for the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, hosted by Jason Alexander and starred the cast of the National Touring Production of Les Misérables. Ms. Onagan is currently developing several theatrical projects with director Kristin Hanggi.

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